Orange Liquor
by JIN'n'GUICE
Summary: Ami has been living Castanet for a few years now, and after helping to save the Harvest Goddess, she now has her sights set on living the life of an average young woman. But, with people like Gill and Chase making your life a living hell, her life is far from average. I really want you guys to review this and tell me what you think


Looking out of her window at the rain drenched streets, Ami sighed heavily. After a week of the steady down pour, she hoped to see a little sunshine touch her garden. How she missed it so. The leaves in the trees swaying joyfully with the summer breeze, and her flowers and crops stretching, reaching towards its golden warmth, her animals grazing across the field surrounding her home; it filled her with such joy to see her little farm flourish, but at least she didn't have to water all of those crops. It does get to be quite the tiring job. Pushing herself up and away from her spot at the window, she looked around her small home before setting out to start her day.

The rain had never bothered her much, so there wasn't any need for an umbrella. Maybe something in her hoped that during the day the sun would rear its head and push the clouds away. One could only hope she figured. She strolled into her barn, greeting her animals with a pat on the side and a smile on her way to the fodder bin. "Good morning Willow. I hope this rain isn't putting you in too bad of a mood." She cooed at her horse as she set a hefty amount of hay before him. Willow merely neighed and ate his breakfast, ignoring his owner as he usually does. Ami shrugged, accustomed to his stand-offish behavior and went about feeding the rest of her live stock before she began milking and sheering.

Time had slipped through her gloved fingers as she went about her chores when she heard a gruff "ahem!" at the barn door. She swiveled around with an armful of freshly made cheese to see the chiseled man from down the road, holding a squeaking ball of yellow fluff. "Good morning Cain! What brings you by?" Ami asked cheerfully, carefully placing the cheese into the shipping bin. "Remember that duck egg you put in your incubator a few days ago?" he asked. "Yeah! Is that the new duckling?" Ami asked, giving her cows a good brush down. "Sure is, and she needs a name." Cain said setting the duckling down so she could explore her new surroundings.

Ami looked down at the clumsy little duckling, laughing lightly as the yellow fluff tripped over her own webbed feet. "I think Delilah is her mother, so I'll name her Lily." The farmer said happily, scooping the little bird into her hands. "Wonderful! Well, I'll leave you to your chores. Be sure to take care of her now Ami. I know how forgetful you can be." Cain tossed over his shoulder, about to make his way back to his own farm. Ami stuck her tongue out at the older man before making her way over to the coop.

With the fouls and silkworms fed and happy, Ami emerged from the chicken pen, tired from her usual set of chores. She sighed, letting the light rain run over her body. Before she knew it, her feet traveled the path towards town, down the stairs and into the tailors shop. It was almost second nature by now. Stop by the tailors and say hi to Luna and Candace, then the fish shop to see Paolo and Toby. If the Wizard is feeling social, she'll stop by with some coffee beans just for him, and then make her way around to the Inn, where she'd chat with Maya and Yolanda and run into him. Ami has never had anything against Chase, but she never liked the vibes she got from the curly haired chef.

"Good afternoon Ami." Candace said, her soft voice breaking the farmer out of her trance. "Good morning Candace. Is Luna around today?" Ami asked, running a hand down the front of a new silk night gown hanging in the window. How she loved the feel of the cool fabric against her skin. "No sadly. She went to the city to get some new fabric. She should be back before winter settles in." The blue haired girl said from behind her sewing machine, her foot keeping a steady rhythm as she sewed a new hem for a blouse. "Ah," the farmer mumbled, lost in the black silk before her.

The sleeveless garment was stunning, black lace around the top and flowing down each side of the gown to pool at the bottom hem. Ami pulled her hand away from it, afraid she would dirty the fine silk. "Well Candace, I must be off. I'll be back later with your tea." The girl smiled, tossing a grin over her shoulder to her blue haired friend. Candace hadn't acknowledged her, and Ami went about her way. The seamstress always gets so lost in her work the world around her ceases to exist.

Ami walked down the long wood pier, the waves crashing gently on the shore of the beach beneath her. At the very end of the path sat the grey haired fisherman, eyes closed and a merry smile on his face as he tossed his fishing rod back and swung it forward, and settling in for the long wait for a fish's nibble.

"Toby!" Ami called, walking the rest of the way to sit next to the fisherman. "Toby, it's raining. Is fishing really necessary?" She asked, kicking her feet back and forth as they dangled over the edge of the dock. Toby turned his head towards the girl, and then back to the sea. "Every day is perfect for fishing, no matter the weather. Besides, the fish like the rain. It's easier to catch them on days like this." He replied slowly, nodding in content with his answer. Ami blinked at him, brown eyes ghosting over the taller boy. A rain drop dripped from a blade of his gorgeous white hair and traced his strong jaw, dripping off of his slightly pointed chin. How, dare she say it? How handsome Toby has become over the years. Since she first came to the island, Toby has really matured into a good looking young man, and she's sure she isn't the first to notice. She often catches Renee spending a little extra time hanging around the fish shop.

After a short conversation, Ami started to make her way up the stairs and towards the inn. She almost dreaded the walk, not looking forward to seeing the man that fills her with such anxiety she feels faint and almost sick. She hated the aura that surrounded him with a passion, and the scent of oranges that seemed to saturate the very air around him didn't seem to help settle her stomach. The 'ding' of the bell over the door brought her back to earth only moments before she was tackled by a whirl of blonde fluff.

"Good afternoon Ami! Would you like something sweet? I made cookies this morning!" Maya chimed, holding up a napkin full of charred animal shaped cookies to Ami's face. The farmer fought back a sneeze and rejected the sweet offer with a smile. "That's sweet of you Maya, but you know I'm not a fan of sweets." The older girl said, smiling and pulling the blonde into a hug. Maya shrugged and went towards the back of the inn looking for her grandmother.

"Suit yourself Ami! We all know you have a secret sweet tooth." The cook sang, turning a corner and almost running into a grumpy Chase. "Watch where you're going Maya. You almost made me spill Gill's order." He grumbled, holding still as the pot of tomato soup started to settle. Maya stuck her tongue out at him, continuing to make her way down the hall. "Tomato soup is gross anyhow Chase!" She teased before disappearing behind a door.

A bored look molded itself back onto the cook's features as he finished rounding the corner. As he was setting the pot onto the counter top, he turned towards the farmer, the same bored look now seeping into the corners of his eyes. "Oh, hello Ami. I thought Maya was talking to herself again." He said haphazardly before taking a spoon to the pot of red soup. "Good afternoon." Ami replied, stiff as a board, locking her eyes on the orange haired chef. She didn't know what to make of the feeling churning in the pit of her stomach, but it was eerie, and she didn't like it one bit. 'Oh, if only Maya had of stayed around longer to fill my order! Now I'm forced to talk to him.' Ami thought with a painful gulp, refusing to move an inch from her spot. Chase snapped his eyes back to her in agitation, quirking an eyebrow up at her. "Are you going to stand there all day, mouth agape, or are you here to order something?" He asked gruffly, turning his attention back to his broth.

Thinking on her toes, Ami didn't wish to stay longer than she needed to. "I'm sorry. Did they demote you to counter boy? Seems so unfitting to have such a sourpuss greeting the customers." Ami scoffed, doing a small victory dance in her head as the chef stopped stirring in the pot. He looked up at her with a different look in his eye. Ami couldn't name it, but she didn't like it as much as she didn't like being in his presence. "Oh? I must not be homely enough for you. Would you rather I go out back and fiddle with crops?" He taunted, straightening his back so he stood at full attention, looking over at the brown haired farmer.

She fumed. How dare he! She was most certainly not homely, and he didn't know a thing about her to say so. "That would probably make your food completely inedible, not like it's condition now is any better." She bit back, watching in amusement as his eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "How dare yo-!" "That's enough you two!" a deep voice called from behind the farmer.


End file.
